About Us

Every time you choose to walk through the doors at First Ruston you will enjoy great music (traditional or contemporary), an upbeat atmosphere and teaching aimed at helping us deal with real life issues.

Resources

About Us

Every time you choose to walk through the doors at First Ruston you will enjoy great music (traditional or contemporary), an upbeat atmosphere and teaching aimed at helping us deal with real life issues.

Resources

E Thoughts

Faithful and Just . . .

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

God's constant grace to forgive our sins when we confess is a bedrock of the Christian faith. How many times have we turned to this promise that "God is faithful and just to forgive"?

But have you ever thought about how odd the wording is in this verse? Why would it say, "faithful and just"? Why not "faithful and merciful"? Why not "faithful and loving"?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word "just" means, "acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright or good."

Being "just" implies being unbiased, impartial, and doing what is fair no matter what!

How can God just forgive our sins when we admit them- with no punishment . . . and be just? What about those people who have hurt us, stolen from us, or otherwise wronged us?

It actually seems unjust to forgive someone with no penalty merely because they say, "I'm sorry."

That's why the use of this word in the Scripture is so amazing! God has already punished our sin through Jesus' death on the cross! When we trust in Jesus' sacrifice for our sins, every sin . . . past, present, and future . . . has been paid for.

We "are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:24 (NIV)

So when the Bible says that forgiving our sins is "just," that's because Jesus has already paid the penalty for our sins.

Justice has been served. It just wasn't served to us.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1 (NIV)